Is the Tent Catapillar invasion beginning again?

[bessiedog]

If you remember anything outdoorsy about the '80s,
You remember them.

It was gross!!!

Two years ago, I noticed a nest on a Saskatoon bush. Up high behind my place during a trail run.

This year I've seen quite a few nests.

Down by the Wall in the Crow, a buddy of mine said the aspens are taking a beating from them chomping down!

Anyone else seeing the signs of the impending invasion?


Oh!... It's gonna be yucky!!!

[Dacotensis]

In the Sherwood heights area of Sherwood park, some of our big poplars have taken a hit.
I remember in about 86' the infestation was terrible up at the Narrow lake camp.
Gross,

[canadiantdi]

Saw a few up around whitecourt, but not too bad.

[lund17]

They are out in full force and bad just south of Calling Lake. I have been watching them the last four weeks eat all the trees for a good distance along the highway.

[Kurt505]

Took a trip to saskatchewan last week, they seem pretty thick east of Smokey Lake.

[Wrangler3878]

Running rampant from Frog Lake north to Bonnyville/Cold Lake, looks like the trees along the hwy were hit by forest fire...and the black "trails" of them splattered all over the road is CRAZY!!

[bruceba]

We've seen a couple in our area. :)

http://globalnews.ca/news/1383630/catterpillar-infestation-hits-lethbridge/

[bison]

We had them bad 2 years in a row, last year was the worst.
I haven't seen a single one this year yet,i hope it stays that way.

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Had them up north really bad the past 2 years in the PR area. I was at Faust/Joussard/ High Prairie today and caterpillars are there. As well as north of Manning by Hawkhills and near Peavine as well.:angry3:

[Forest Techer]

If you've driven through whitecourt lately the hills are bare. Roads have been littered with them for 2 weeks.

High level to Zama to ft vermillion was cleaned out in 2005. Trees flushed at least twice. I watched a pickup slide off a road doing a 3 point turn.

My vest pockets were FULL of them. After 60m of pushing bush I couldn't put my compass away. When u followed someone your job was to shovel them off the others back.

It looked like November when you were flying.

[Xiph0id]

Slave lake was bad...

[Peterupnorth]

Our whole area north of the Peace River to the BC border has been wiped out.
People shoveling piles of them away from houses and having to scrub down siding....IT'S GROSS!
Lost every leaf in the 120 acre woodlot but fought the war for the yardsite and we are still green. Yup, six days of intense Malathion spraying will put a man down.

[canadiantdi]

Had an infestation a few years back and it ended up killing 3 trees on our property.

[Wild&Free]

Any talk of releasing some wasps to control these buggers again?

[dgonc86]

Last year grande prairie area and saddle Hills were really bad, haven't really noticed as much activity this year.

[dopemop]

Never met my Grandpa but I knew he took down every tree on his property in the early 80s.. I have a picture what it looked like before.. even my mom talks talks about her brothers taking improve flame throwers to kill the the caterpillars.. he still won't teach me to make a flame thrower.. sure its something to do with welding tanks which is argon right?

[roger]

. he still won't teach me to make a flame thrower.. sure its something to do with welding tanks which is argon right?

some things are best left unlearned.
argon is inert...if my memery serves me

[jacenbeers]

In the early 90s, the tent caterpillar problem was unbelievable one summer in BC in the small town I grew up in west of Prince George. The caterpillars ate themselves out of house and home on one side of the highway and crossed to the other side and the road became like an oil slick. It was crazy. The walls of any building next to a group of deciduous trees were covered all the time in caterpillars.